A bipartisan victim’s rights bill that would expand the rights of crime victims as well provide additional protections passed through the Senate Law & Justice Committee last week. Notably the bill expands these provisions to impact misdemeanor cases in municipal courts.

SB 5635, sponsored by John Braun (R–Centralia), intends to ensure all crime victims are provided with necessary and relevant assistance throughout the judicial process while providing crime advocates and prosecutors with sufficient funds to do so. While we appreciate the language in Section 2 requiring the state to provide sufficient funding to the office of crime victims advocacy, AWC is concerned regarding potential unfunded costs as well as time constraints on misdemeanor cases in municipal and district courts.

The bill:

• Expands the rights of victims and survivors of victims to be informed of the trial and sentencing hearing in any case (not just felony and domestic violence misdemeanor, as stands currently), and to present a statement personally or by representation at the sentencing in any case.
• Provides additional rights to have the victims' safety considered in bail considerations, to be heard when the court sets a date for trial, and to be informed of the offender’s place of incarceration, release from confinement, and any escape.
• Requires the state to provide funding sufficient to support crime victim advocates and prosecutors in their work to ensure the rights granted to victims, survivors of victims, and witnesses of crimes are protected.

AWC submitted written testimony supporting the intent of the bill but with concerns about costs. We are currently trying to get a better sense of what “funding sufficient to support crime victim advocates and prosecutors” might actually look like. Please reach out to Lindsey Hueer or Katherine Walton with information regarding victim advocate services that you anticipate would be required if this legislation were to be enacted.

Dates to remember

SB 5635 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday, February 21 at 9 am.